'It's time' — Bantu Holomisa says 'masks must fall'

As government deliberates on ending the national state of disaster, UDM leader Bantu Holomisa has called for the scrapping of compulsory face masks.

On Sunday, Holomisa tweeted a picture of him wearing a mask and wrote: “Masks must fall. It's time.”

Health minister Joe Phaahla addressed a media session on Friday on government's response to Covid-19, saying the department of health and other stakeholders were tasked with providing alternative safety measures to limit the spread and affect of the pandemic.

“The [department] has been hard at work revising its regulations to control notifiable infectious diseases and is ready to present at the next NCCC [national coronavirus command council] meeting.”

It remains unclear if mask-wearing regulations will be scrapped, but the minister said the World Health Organisation (WHO) advised against complacency.

“As the WHO has stated at various forums, two of which I attended this week including yesterday [Sunday], Covid-19 is not over as can be seen from the global numbers and we must avoid reversing the hard-earned gains we have made as we strive to end the pandemic.

“We hope the reviewed health regulations and others from other departments will assist in a guided reopening of various economic and social activities, especially in the leisure and tourism areas, with less risk of super-spreaders,” said Phaahla. 

The proposed amendments will include adjustments to travel requirements. 

Some Twitter users agreed with Holomisa.